Roll stand for a rolling mill



June 18, 1968 R. D. WYKES 3,388,578

ROLL STAND FOR A ROLLING MILL Filed Jan. 28. 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet l w 11 g 'Q III I fi I?) m a a? M8 J R w cur In N 7 LL. &7 0?: '22

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Robert D. Wykes ATT OR EYS June 18, 1968 R. D. WYKES 3,388,578

ROLL STAND FOR A ROLLING MILL Filed Jan. 28, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Robert D. Wykes lzggdmiw ATTORNEYS June 18, 1968 WYKES 3,388,578

ROLL STAND FOR A ROLLING MILL Filed Jan. 28. 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Robert D. Wykes ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,388,578 RGLL STAND FOR A ROLLING MILL Robert D. Wykes, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, Mass., :1 corporation of Massachusetts Filed Jan. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 523,659 7 Claims. (Cl. 72-240) ABSTRACT 7 OF THE DISCLOSURE outer gear teeth forming respectively inner and outer idlers, the inner idler being meshed with a driven gear on the second roll shaft and the outer idler being meshed with a drive gear on the first roll shaft. The bearings for the second roll shaft are provided with eccentric sleeves which when rotated, impart a lateral adjustment to the second roll shaft without adversely affecting the meshed relationship between the inner idler on the cylindrical gear element and the driven gear on the second roll shaft.

This invention relates generally to a rolling mill and more particularly to roll stands of the overhung type. As herein utilized, the term overhung is intended to describe a roll stand having parallel roll shafts rotatably mounted within a housing, with work rolls carried on adjacent exposed ends of the shafts to define a pass line therebetween.

In overhung roll stands of the type presently in use, a problem exists in that the drive connection between the roll shafts is adversely affected by roll parting adjustments. To illustrate, the adjacent roll shafts are usually interconnected by a common gear train to which is also connected the main mill drive. When the spacing between roll shafts is varied during roll parting adjustments, the mesh relationship between the gears in the gear train is also changed. Thus, an increase in roll parting causes certain gears in the gear train to spread apart and gradually go out of mesh, with a resulting adverse effect on the drive relationship between the rolls. A further problem with o arrangements of this type lies in the fact that the range of roll parting adjustment is seriously limited by the permissible range within which the spacing between gear centers in the gear train may be varied without disrupting the drive relationship between roll shafts.

These problems have now been overcome in a novel manner by the present invention, an object of which is to provide a means of performing roll parting adjustments without adversely affecting the drive relationship between roll shafts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a roll parting adjustment mechanism which operates to adjust the spacing between roll shafts while allowing the mesh relationship of the intermediate gear train to remain undisturbed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for adjusting roll parting in an overhung roll stand While allowing the radial distance between gear centers to remain constant in the gear train connecting the adjacent roll shafts.

A still further object of the present invention is toprovide a roll parting adjustment mechanism having a greater range of permissible adjustment than those presently in use.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through an overhung roll stand embodying the concepts of the present invention, with parts broken away to better illustrate the means providing a drive connection between rolls;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view through the gear train providing a drive connection between the roll shafts taken along line 22 of FIG. 1',

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along lines 44 of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a portion of the operating means for simultaneously rotating the eccentric sleeves taken along line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration illustrating the movement of the driven gear in relation to the inner idler during performance of roll parting adjustments; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 77 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, a preferred construction of an overhung roll stand embodying the concepts of the present invention is shown comprising a basic roll housing 8 which includes bottom and top walls 10 and 12, side walls 14 and 16, and front and rear plates 18 and 20. The bottom, top and side walls 10, 12, 14 and 16 are welded together as at 21 to provide a rigid base structure. The front and rear plates 18 and 20 are connected to the wall members by means of rugged bolts indicated typically by the reference numeral 22. In this manner, the front and rear plates may be removed quickly by simply disconnecting bolts 22 when gaining access to the interior of the housing.

A first roll shaft 24 is mounted within the housing between two sleeve bearings 26 for rotation about a fixed axis. One end of shaft 24 protrudes outwardly through rear plate 20 as at 28 to be connected to the main mill drive (not shown).

A large cylindrical ring gear generally indicated by the reference numeral 30 is mounted above shaft 24 for rotation about a second fixed axis. As herein shown, the ring gear is made up of two sections 32a and 32b held together by means of bolts indicated typically at 34. The ring gear is rotatably supported between spaced blocks 36 depending from top wall 12. The blocks are each provided with downwardly facing semicircular indentations which cooperate with caps 38 bolted thereto by bolts 39 and bearing sleeves 40 in providing a means of rotatably supporting the ring gear 30.

A second roll shaft 42 extends axially through ring gear 30 and is mounted for rotation about a third axis parallel to the axes of rotation of ring gear 30 and roll shaft 24. Shaft 42 is journaled between sleeve bearings 44 which are in turn rotatably contained within eccentric sleeves 46. Roller thrust bearing assemblies 48 cooperate with circumferential grooves 50 on one end of both shafts 24 and 42 to provide axial support for the shafts in the housing. A pair of work rolls 52 are removably mounted on the opposite adjacent exposed ends of the roll shafts 24 and 42 to define a pass line 54 therebetween.

As can best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, ring gear 30 is provided with an outer set of teeth forming an outer idler 54 and an inner set of teeth forming an inner idler 56. A drive gear 58 herein shown as an integral part of shaft 24 is in meshed relationship with the outer idler 54.

A driven gear 60 is also shown for illustrative purposes as being integral part of shaft 42 is in meshed relationship with the inner idler 56. With this arrangement, torque is applied to the extension 28 of shaft 24 from the main mill drive and is thereafter transferred through the gear train provided by drive gear 58, outer idler 54, inner idler 56 and driven gear 60 to roll shaft 42. Thus, rotation of roll shaft 24 in one direction will result in corresponding rotation of shaft 42 in the opposite direction.

The means utilized to perform roll parting adjustments will now be described with particular reference to FIGS. 4-8. The eccentric sleeves 46 are each provided with operating levers 62 which extend laterally in spaced relationship within the housing. The ends of levers 62 are connected by an intermediate member 64, which member is in turn provided with a pair of spaced brackets 66. Small bearing blocks 67 are slidably mounted within rectangular openings 68 in each of the brackets 66. A short cylindrical shaft 69 is journaled for rotation between bearing blocks 67. Shaft 69 is provided with a transverse passageway through which is threaded an operating shaft 70 having an intermediate threaded portion 72. One end of shaft 70 is journaled for rotation as at 74 by a bearing in the top wall 12 of housing 8 and the other end of the shaft is similarly journaled as at 76 in the bottom wall 10. The exposed end 78 of shaft 70 is suitably adapted to be engaged by a removable handle (not shown).

With this arrangement, it can be seen that by rotation of operating shaft 70 in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, the short pivotal shaft 69 which is connected to intermediate member 64 by means of hearing blocks 67 slidably mounted on brackets 66, will be caused to run either up or down the threaded portion 72. This motion will be transmitted through intermediate member 64 and operating levers 62 to the eccentric sleeves 46, thus producing simultaneous rotation of the sleeves.

The eccentricity of sleeves 46 is such that rotation thereof to achieve the desired range of roll parting adjustment may be accomplished without adversely affecting the mesh relationship between driven gear 60 and the inner idler 56 on ring gear 30. More particularly, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 6, rotation, of the eccentric sleeves 46 in a counterclockwise direction to decrease roll parting will result in the rotational axis A of roll shaft 42 being moved in arcuate path 80 having a radius of curvature R extending from the rotational axis A of ring gear 30. This movement will in turn result in the pitch circle P of driven gear 60 rolling around the pitch circle P of inner idler 56 while constantly remaining tangentially related thereto. The same basic arcuate movement exists when the eccentric sleeves 46 are rotated in a clockwise direction to increase roll parting. Thus, it can be seen that although the performance of roll parting adjustments will result in the rotational axis A of roll shaft 42 being displaced relative to the rotational axes of ring gear 30 and roll shaft 24, the mesh relationship between the gear train establishing a drive connection between shafts 24 and 42 will remain unaffected. The pitch circles of the drive gear 58 and outer idler 54 on ring gear 30 will remain in tangential relationship because both shaft 24 and ring gear 30 rotate on fixed axes. Moreover, as discussed above, the pitch circles of driven gear 60 and inner idler 56 will remain tangentially related due to the arcuate movement imparted to the rotational axis A; of shaft 42 by rotation of eccentric sleeves 46.

It should also be noted that since roll parting is not limited by the extent to which certain gears in the intermediate gear train may go out of mesh, a greater range of adjustment is made available.

It is my intention to cover all changes and modifications of the embodiment herein chosen for purposes of disclosure which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a rolling mill, a roll stand comprising: a housing supporting first and second roll shafts for rotation about spaced parallel axes; a work roll on each said shafts, said work rolls defining a pass line therebetween; drive means connected to said first roll shaft; a drive gear on said first roll shaft and a driven gear on said second roll shaft; a cylindrical intermediate gear element rotatable about an axis which is fixed and parallel to the rotational axes of said roll shafts, said gear element having a central passage through which said second roll shaft extends axially, said gear element being further provided with outer gear teeth forming an outer idler in meshed relationship with the drive gear on said first roll shaft, and inner gear teeth forming an inner idler in meshed relationship with the driven gear on said second roll shaft; and, roll parting adjustment means for laterally displacing said second roll shaft relative to said first roll shaft without adversely affecting the meshed relationship of said inner idler and said driven gear.

2. The roll stand as set forth in claim 1 wherein said roll parting adjustment means is comprised of eccentric sleeves rotatably mounted within fixed bearings supported by said housing, said second shaft being journaled for rotation within said eccentric sleeves, said operating means for simultaneously rotating said eccentric sleeves to thus displace the rotational axis of said second shaft relative to the rotational axes of said first shaft and said cylindrical element.

3. The roll stand as set forth in claim 2 wherein rotation of said eccentric sleeves to accomplish the desired roll parting adjustment will cause the rotational axis of said second shaft to be moved within said cylindrical element in an arcuate path parallel to the pitch circle of said inner idler.

4. The roll stand as set forth in claim 2 wherein rotation of said eccentric sleeves to accomplish the desired. roll parting adjustment will cause the rotational axis of said second shaft to be moved within said cylindrical element, the distance between the rotational axes of said second shaft and said inner idler remaining constant throughout said movement.

5. The roll stand as set forth in claim 4 wherein the pitch circles of said inner idler and driven gear are in tangential relationship.

6. The roll stand as set forth in claim 5 wherein said operational means is comprised of a connecting link extending between the said eccentric sleeves, a pivotal member slidably carried by said connecting link, and a rotatable operating shaft supported by said housing and threaded through said pivotal member whereby rotation of said operating shaft will result in arcuate movement of said eccentric sleeves.

7. A roll stand for a rolling mill comprising: a housing having first and second roll shafts mounted therein for rotation about spaced parallel axes, work rolls carried by each said shafts, to define a pass line therebetween, a drive gear on said first roll shaft, a driven gear on said second roll shaft, intermediate gear means providing a drive connection between said drive and driven gears and eccentric means operatively connected to said second roll shaft for performing roll parting adjustments by moving the rotational axis of said second roll shaft in an arcuate path parallel to the pitch circle of the intermediate gear means in meshed relationship with said driven gear.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 19,963 4/ 8 Bailey 72-240 270,170 l/1883 Woerd 72-248 879,616 2/ 1908 Eynon 72-249 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. H. D. HOINKES, Assistant Examiner. 

